This vegan BBQ sauce is sweet, smoky and tangy. There's no ketchup or refined sugar in this recipe. Slather it on veggie burgers, or use it as a dip or a marinade.
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Vegan BBQ sauce is a great addition to your weekly meal plan. Make a jar and use it all week...it literally kicks every dish up a notch. We like to use it to dip raw veggies in or as a tangy topping for waffle fries.
The great thing about making vegan BBQ sauce from scratch is that you know exactly what's going into it. Store bought brands can be full of additives and preservatives, and there's nothing worse than buying a giant bottle of something that you might only want for one recipe. When you make homemade BBQ sauce you can adjust the quantities.
Plus, you can adjust the recipe to suit your own tastes...don't like spicy? No problem, reduce or omit the chili pepper. Too sweet? reduce the amount of maple syrup in the recipe. You get the point!
Is BBQ Sauce Vegan?
Not every store bought brand of BBQ sauce is vegan. Ingredients to look out for are honey, worcestershire sauce and anchovies. However, there are many vegan brands available. Here's a few that have the vegan seal of approval:
- Stubb's
- Sweet Baby Ray's: The original BBQ sauce is vegan friendly, but many of their other sauces are not.
- Annie's
- Organicville
- Primal Kitchen: Their BBQ is vegan friendly, but some of their other sauces are not.
Ingredients
- Tomato Sauce: No ketchup in this vegan BBQ sauce....tomato sauce is our base.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup replaces refined sugar in this recipe. I also just love the maple flavor. It complements BBQ sauce so much.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This is what gives your BBQ sauce that tangy quality.
- Dijon Mustard: Use the prepared mustard, not dried. Dijon mustard does have a bit of kick to it, so if you don't like spicy, just add a little less.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is less assertive than raw garlic, which would overpower this sauce.
- Liquid Smoke: This is the one ingredient that you might not have in your pantry. I swear by this stuff - if you are vegan, you'll find so many uses for it. It's not strictly necessary in this recipe, but it does add a lovely hickory, smoky flavor.
- Chili Powder: Adds a little spicy kick. Adjust the chili powder to suit your heat preference.
- Black Pepper: Add a few good grinds of black pepper - it really improves the taste.
Instructions for Making Vegan BBQ Sauce
- It's so simple! Put all of your ingredients into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Now reduce the heat and simmer your BBQ sauce for 10 minutes. This will give it a chance to thicken.
- Taste, and adjust your seasonings. If it's not sweet enough for you, add a bit more maple syrup. If it's not tangy enough, add some more apple cider vinegar. It's your sauce, so make it how you prefer!
- Let the sauce cool down before storing it in a clean jar.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Recipe
Vegan BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Allow the sauce to cool before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Each serving is 2 tablespoons of ketchup.
Reece
Love this! Thanks
Keri Bevan
Thanks for your feedback Reece! So pleased you liked the BBQ sauce.